The CJR's William Wheeler recounts a debate among foreign journalists in Port-au-Prince about whether the priority for young Haitian media workers should be to learn proper ethical behavior and the value of striving to be objective, or whether a grasp of technical skills were more important if they were going to find work. He suggested: "Haiti needs pragmatism and idealism in equal measure."

Not only were 30 journalists killed and 13 injured in the earthquake that left more than 300,000 people dead and 1.3 million homeless, Wheeler notes, but advertising revenue was severely impacted because of the destruction of businesses, and infrastructure was demolished in a country where radio is the most dominant source of news. Graft is also a problem as sources pay reporters for positive coverage. Wheeler quotes Mario Viau, managing director of Signal FM radio station, admitting it is an issue executives like himself monitor. “But sometimes you have to close one eye on the subject because you know they have to get by.”